Glossary of horse coat colours
A coat is the color of a horse's hair, and it has its own, sometimes confusing, vocabulary. This glossary clarifies the main coats and their peculiarities, useful for accurately describing a horse for sale, registration, or conversation.
Terms
- Chestnut
- A coat of uniform reddish or cinnamon color, with mane and tail of the same shade or lighter.
- Bay
- A reddish-brown coat on the body, with black mane, tail, and legs.
- Dun
- A golden, cream, or cinnamon body coat, with black mane, tail, and sometimes legs.
- Black
- A completely black coat, characteristic of breeds such as the Friesian; it must be uniform.
- Gray
- A coat that starts dark and lightens with age due to white hairs, until it becomes almost white.
- Roan
- A coat with an even mixture of white and colored hairs, which does not lighten with age like a gray.
- Pinto
- A coat with large white and colored patches distributed over the body (overo and tobiano).
- Palomino
- A golden coat with white or very light mane and tail, very striking.
- Cremello
- A cream or ivory coat with light mane, associated with a dilution gene.
- Grullo
- A dark coat with mixed tones, sometimes with a dorsal stripe.
- Star
- A white mark on the horse's forehead, one of the most common facial markings.
- Stripe
- An elongated white mark that runs down the horse's face from the forehead to the nose.
- Sock/Stocking
- A white mark on one or more legs, above the hoof; described by its height.
- Dorsal stripe
- A dark line along the back, present in some primitive coats.
- Ermine spots
- Small dark marks on white areas, typically on the coronary band of the hoof.
Related content
View all Rincón del Valle guides
Related material
- Horse care and cleaning — to maintain the coat's shine and condition.
- Horse blankets — protect the coat from sun, rain, and cold.
The most common coats, one by one
The coat is the color of the horse's hair, mane, and skin. These are the most common in Spain:
- Chestnut: reddish or copper body, with mane and tail of the same shade or lighter. Never has black points.
- Bay: brown body with black mane, tail, and legs.
- Dun: golden or cinnamon body with those same black points.
- Black: uniform coat, without reddish areas in the sun.
- Gray: born dark and greys with age until it appears white. This is not the same as a white horse born white, which is very rare.
- Roan: white hairs uniformly mixed with the base color, but with the head and legs darker.
- Palomino: golden body with white or very light mane and tail.
- Grullo: dull tone with a dorsal stripe on the back and, sometimes, zebra stripes on the legs.
- Pinto: large irregular white patches over any base color.
Peculiarities: face and leg markings
In addition to the coat, each horse has its own white markings that serve to identify it in documentation: star, stripe, blaze, or snip on the face; high or low sock/stocking on the legs. These markings allow distinguishing two horses of the same coat.
Frequently asked questions
Does the coat change throughout life?
Grays do: they progressively grey. The rest vary in shade between summer and winter coats, but maintain the same base color.
Does a white horse exist?
It's very rare. Almost all horses that appear white are very greyed-out grays, with dark skin under the hair.
How do I maintain the coat's shine?
Daily brushing, adequate feeding, and protection from sun and insects. For light coats and grays, a fly sheet also prevents stains and rubbing.
Related material in the store
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